Mountain of Lies
by Atarashii Tanjou
Summary: Her people told stories, whispered around the fire when the Elders couldn't hear, of the dangers of the mountain - horrifying, twisted monstrosities waiting at every turn. These were the tales that kept her shaking and subdued. Yet, Sakura wonders if there is any truth to these fables, or if they are simply to keep the children in line. Dare she tread the line between worlds?
1. 1 - Legends in the Dark

Summary - Her people told stories, whispered around the fire when the Elders couldn't hear, of the dangers of the mountain, the forest, the rivers and caves. Tales of horrifying monstrosities haunting the pass, creatures from nightmares reaching to snatch unwitting passersby to hidden depths, and otherworldly revenants skulking just out of sight… those were the tales that had Sakura shaking where she sat. But, she wonders, are they simply fables, meant to frighten the children into obedience, or could there be some truth to them? (Or, in which Sakura decides to confront legends and topple the misconceptions built by generations of fear and misunderstandings.)

1 - Legends in the Dark

My tribe has long sustained our way of life, undisturbed by the war raging around us, at the foot of this mountain. As a child, I would look to the stars as my mother stroked my hair and told me of the people we had lost to time, given a home in the heavens. My father would take several of us, the young girls, to the plain for training in the path of the Warrior and the Hunter. I remember the look of his pride whenever one of us caught a rabbit, and his smile when our sparring improved with time. I recall my mother leading us to the lake, showing us the beauty of the world, and of each other, before we gathered water. I also remember the awakening of my power, albeit later than any others, for my tribe is gifted by the Goddess with Her tears… something that outsiders callously refer to as _magic_.

Such a blessing cannot be bound by one word. It flows through every member of our tribe, from the newly born to the wisest crone. We are born with it, graced by Her smile and guided by Her voice. But there is a darker side to Her love for us.

It is said amongst my people that those who disobey the Goddess are cursed. Cast out, they are banished to the mountain; the forests, caves and the river provide places of meet and refuge for these forsaken spirits. My folk whisper of grotesque beings, warped and twisted in Her absence, haunting the mountain, skulking in the shadows of the pass, waiting for unsuspecting travelers to wander into their domain. For this reason, the Elders have forbidden exploration of the mountain. They have even forbidden speaking of it. Thus, we murmur the warning tales around the fire when the Elders are not present.

Yet I wonder - is there any truth to the legends my heal-sisters and hunt-brothers speak of? I yearn to find out for myself, but I know that if I act upon my desires, I shall face the wrath of not only my tribe, but potentially of the Goddess Herself. So, I have kept myself in line, agreeing to the unspoken rule with a bowed head and lowered voice. At least, until now… until the Goddess willed me to do otherwise.


	2. 2 - Words Not to be Heard

2 - Words Not to be Heard

The Elders say that all of us are born to the sound of Her Voice, and that She is with us through the first steps of our lives. Her Hands guide us as we find our paths; warriors feel Her pride, healers feel Her compassion, and hunters feel Her concentration. Those who find all paths are Triple-Touched, so the saying goes.

Tsunade-sama is the Head healer, and is one of the only living Triple-Touched. She is also my teacher; it caused quite a stir when she selected me as her pupil. She is the one who looked within and named me Triple-Touched.

It is when I am coaxing a life back from the edge of death that She whispers to me. The boy gasps, his wound healing fully as he slips to unconsciousness. I am still, alone in the healing hut, bound by Her voice. _Greetings, Daughter._ Her voice is sweet and smooth, yet powerful despite her quiet timbre. _I have been watching you, for the time has come._

I am gladdened to hear the Goddess speak, but also frightened, for She does not speak directly often. She leaves Her will through signs that the trained eye can see, pulls to the heart, and dreams in the night. I have never heard of our Goddess whispering to a single individual before. "Blessings to the Goddess," I sigh breathlessly, my hands meeting in front of me, still on my knees from my healing.

A melodic laugh dances through my chakra, and I shiver at the caress. _My child, the time has come._ She repeats what has been said, and my brow furrows slightly. _I have a task for you, my Daughter. There is unrest in the earth, feeding the shadows that haunt your tribe. Your task is a great one, child, but dangerous. I require you to lay to rest this corruption in the mountain._ My breath catches in shock. I am given a directive from the Goddess, to carry out Her sacred duty… in the Mountain. Has She heard of my desire to explore?

 _Calm, Sakura._ A sudden warmth on my forehead smooths the worry lines. My name in Her Voice is pleasing, a shudder working through my body. _I have heard your wishes, and I am pleased by your spirit. You are my child, blessed by my love, and imbued with my strength._ The same warmth on my forehead rests lightly against my hands and my breast, against the beat of my heart. _You are Triple-Touched. You have my favor, Daughter. Triply Touched, Triply Blessed._

I feel Her presence fading. "Wait!" I blindly reach out, searching for the vestiges of Her warmth. There is a soft touch on one of my outstretched hands, and somewhere inside my soul, I wonder at the depth of Her Touch. "Why have you Chosen me? Why have you not selected one of our stronger warriors?" _"Why am I different?"_ My heart cries out the unspoken question, and the Goddess hears me.

 _You are my Daughter, Sakura. I would not have chosen you had you been less than worthy._ There is a gentle reproach in her words, and I bow my head in shame for doubting the actions of the Goddess. A small touch to my chin lifts my face back up. _Your heart._ I am filled with confusion before the Goddess continues. _Your heart is strong, my child. It beats with the thrill of the hunt, the determination of the protector, and the compassion of the healer. Only one with all three virtues may challenge the Mountain._

Her answer brings more questions than answers to my tongue, and the words are pouring from my lips before I can think to halt my rambling tongue. "But I am not the only Triple-Touched, Goddess. Why did you choose me, and not Healer Tsunade?" I bite my tongue to prevent any other words to be spoken out of turn. Our Goddess is one of love, but Her wrath is something to be feared.

A ripple of amusement surrounds me, and I relax fully. She has forgiven me for my trespass. _Tsunade is also my Daughter, though she is nearing the time that she rejoins me. I would have you challenge the Mountain Path in her stead – tell her of my words, and she will follow my will._ The Goddess pauses for an infinitesimal second. _You have also called to me, Daughter. You have whispered of your curiosity, your dissatisfaction. It is not impudence, my Sakura._ She silences my fears before I may raise them. _Your spirit is untamed and longs for more than a simple life. While the path you will walk is rough and dangerous, it will teach you many things. There are few better suited to traverse that path than you, my beloved Daughter. Go, now, and bear my protection, my love, and my blessing upon you._

Her warmth wraps around my body like a warm skin, yet it sinks right through me and remains a heat at the center of my being. I sense Her presence fading, and this time, I let Her return to the heavens, to resume her watch over us. As I am brought back to the present, I am filled with fear and excitement. _"Oh, my Goddess, where am I to begin?"_

 ** _A/N - Hello, all! Since I posted two other chapters, both with semi-dark connotations, I give you another chapter on Mountain of Lies. There is more plot unraveling here, as well as words from Sakura's elusive Goddess. While it's not the longest chapter, I hope it helps pave the way for more to be done, and soon. (I am still looking for a new job, which means I have lots of time on my hands to write and plan my trip back to college.) Thank you for those of you who enjoy reading my works - it means a lot to me, knowing that what I produce is liked. I do have a question for all of my readers, though. If you like or dislike something, please drop a review, or even just PM me, to let me know about it. Not only do reviews motivate me to do more, but I won't know what you all dislike if you don't tell me._**

 ** _Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all later! - AT_**


	3. 3 - The Path She Treads

3 - The Path She Treads

I find Healer Tsunade in the main hut, bent over a girl who moans softly in pain. My face hardens as I gaze upon the injured and dying. Shizune is also here, as well as Ino. Together, they focus on saving one of our warriors from a deep wound, circular in the front, but larger on his back, bleeding profusely. Sweat beads on their faces as the glow of their energy combines with his, and the flesh slowly knits back together. Try as we might to remain separate, to maintain our peace and distance from the chaos of the warring nations, we are unable to evade their eyes, their blades, their weapons. I think of the boy I brought from the reach of death, only 4 years old, and my heart clenches.

"Sakura, have you come to aid us? We desperately need your expertise - Healer Tsunade may be Touched, but she is not many, and there are others that need immediate healing." Ino has noticed me. Tsunade glances up from her work, her brow creased, but a sharp awareness flickers in her warm eyes. I meet her gaze and nod shortly, but respond to Ino's query.

"I will save as many as the Goddess permits." Ino's eyebrows twitch at the formal reply, but there is work to be done, lives to be saved, wounds to heal, so she merely smiles briefly at me before we both turn to those in danger of greeting the Goddess before their Time.

Hours pass like mere seconds. Such is the way with healing - the rest of the world fades, the only importance remaining as the patients lying before us. I finally seal the long, deep gash tearing down Tenten's back when I become aware of a critical gaze upon me. Wiping the perspiration from my face, I turn calmly to meet the eyes of Healer Tsunade. Heeding the silent query, I follow her outside and behind the healing hut.

We stand in silence for several minutes, gazing at the setting sun. When Tsunade speaks, it is not what I expect. "We lost three today. All children." Her fingers clench into imposing fists at her sides as she stares resolutely towards the red sky. "We are no threat, but the distant warriors that come to this land strike us down either way. And the shadows grow stronger with each passing day." Finally, her eyes turn to me.

I answer. "I have been Chosen." For a moment, there is no change in Healer Tsunade's expression. Then, her eyebrows jump to her hairline. I continue to speak. "The Goddess has given me a great task… But I am afraid." I lower my eyes in shame at my admission. Tsunade's hand lifts my chin gently.

"There is no dishonor in fear, Sakura. The only dishonor is turning from the duties placed before us." Her warm eyes chase away my doubts, and I relax. "Do not fret, my apprentice. I have already been told of your task." This time, my own eyes widen with shock. Tsunade snorts at my expression. "You did not think that you are the only one the Goddess ever Speaks to?"

Sheepishly, I grin back at my mentor. She smirks. "As Healer and Head of the Council of Elders, I decree that my student, Sakura, is released from tribal duties. Directives from our Goddess take priority over all else." Tsunade takes my face in her hands and presses her lips gently upon my forehead. I feel her approval, as well as a warmth that I am quickly growing familiar with. "Go with my blessing, Sakura." My mentor leans back and smiles reassuringly.

I bow deeply. "Thank you, Shishou." Rising, I step into the circle of my teacher's arms, embracing the one that has stayed beside me every step of the way in my journey thus far. My eyes close as I savor this contact, for this is likely the last I am to see of her until my task is complete. Stepping back, my eyes open once more. Tsunade is smiling, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Don't thank me just yet, Sakura." She stretches her arms to the sky before crossing them behind her head. My face creases in confusion just as a gasp sounds from behind me.

"Forehead! Your forehead!" Ino stands there, her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. Her childhood nickname for me stretches the smirk on Tsunade's face, and I scowl at my friend. My fingers search my face for any differences.

"What are you going on about, Ino-pig?" My own insult tumbles out, and Tsunade chuckles deeply, strolling past us even as Ino's finger prods the center of my forehead sharply.

"You're in so much trouble! Why didn't you tell me you were Head Healer?" Ino wails dramatically. My eyes bug out. _What a picture we must make,_ a voice in my head snickers. Ino's finger is still planted firmly on the purple diamond raised against my skin, her face scrunched in a childish pout, and my mouth is hanging open, eyes impossibly wide with shock. Slowly, I recover, my eye twitching as I remove Ino's finger from my face.

Turning, I walk a fair way into the training grounds outside the village, Ino's squawking following me the entire way. A vein pulses in my forehead, and my fists clench. Distantly, amusement ripples across my spirit as I envelop my hand in destructive energy. " _Shannaro!"_ The ground crumbles beneath my fist, and I smirk dangerously. _Don't thank me yet, indeed._

 ** _A/N - Hello, hello! Happy New Year (late)! I hope everyone had a good holiday, and thank you for the well wishes! For those who wished health upon my family, it did come through. My grandmother is still alive, and in relatively good health following surgery. She now has a clean bill of health, with no lingering cancerous masses anywhere. :) Thank you for the support!_**

 ** _I must have spent over two hours writing and re-writing this chapter. I am quite pleased with the end result, and I hope you will be, as well. This chapter is a bit of a filler, with some humor and lots of Tsunade; the task for the Goddess will come into play next chapter. (Also, for those who are confused - there is a war going on between countries. Think World War Two - Japan vs the US. Although I'm not sure that this country is Japan - it's a bit confusing even for me, so we'll assume that the country in question is in a fantasy world somewhere between the Naruto universe and our real world.) IN ANY CASE, thank you for staying beside me on this story - it's been fun so far, and I think it'll be more enjoyable in the future! As always, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, and I'll see you next time!_**

 ** _XOXO A.T._**


	4. 4 - Each Step a Storm

4 - Each Step a Storm

The day passes quickly. Word travels fast in our small village, and even those I do not know well congratulate me, both on my task and my position as Head Healer. My mother and father embrace me tightly when they see me, pride in their faces, fear in their eyes. My mother reassures me, but my father places his hands on my shoulders and smiles. "I am proud of you, my daughter."

My father's declaration warms my heart, even as tears spring to my mother's eyes. Her arms encircle me once more, holding me close, as though I may disappear at any moment, a phantom. Too soon, I am drawn away, a pack of provisions pressed into my hands. I follow Tsunade in a daze, taking supplies with numb hands. _Have I been caught in a dream?_ My fingers close, and I hiss as a slice opens my palm.

Tsunade raises a brow as I heal the incision. The culprit is a blade, finely crafted traditionally, and honed to a deadly edge. Tenten's mark glints from the base. "Have you returned to reality?" Humor is evident in her tone, and I slant a look at her even as I nod. She hands me the second daggers and a pouch of shuriken. I pack each weapon carefully, sliding the knives into the sheathes around my hips and securing the pouch to my waist.

Tsunade regards me fondly. At her insistence, I was gifted hunter's garb of soft leather, boots firm yet silent. My father would not rest until I had taken the warrior's armor of our family, the boiled leather reinforced with bone and chakra; it could stop the claws of a beast or the head of an arrow. My last gift had surprised me most. Ino and Hinata had approached me as word spread around our village, thrusting knits into my hands. I flex my fingers in the sturdy gauntlets, feeling the warmth of my friends' labors seep into my skin. The soft wool is treasured by my tribe, even when raw. To wear such precious material, enhanced by spells for warmth, dexterity, and protection, is overwhelming. I wipe a tear from my eye.

Tsunade places a hand on my shoulder, halting my stride. She hesitates, then presses a final treasure into my hands. "Shishou…" I marvel at the strong, smooth wood in my hands, the string coiled tightly around one end. Runes are etched into the surface, polished from years of handling. I look back up at her, tears forming anew. "I cannot take this from you. Your bow… I know what it means to you."

A wry smile crosses her lips. "A warrior's heart is sustained by their armor and blade. The healer finds peace and meaning in supporting others and creating. But the hunter… the hunter's soul is carried in the bow, the ability to take life to prolong life." She chuckles. "I have told you this many times, I know. But please, take it. If my soul is truly bound to my bow, I will rest easier knowing I am protecting you, no matter how far you are from us." Her eyes glint with moisture before she grins. "Considering you never crafted your own, you may borrow this from me. But when - yes, _when_ \- you come back, I fully expect you to create your own, Sakura!" We laugh together, until our feet carry us to the edge of the village.

Everyone is here, faces I have known all my life, healed by my hands and held dear to my heart. A tightness forms in my chest and throat at the thought of leaving. _It is too late to turn back. I must carry on this sacred duty._ I kneel according to ancient custom, allowing my mother to braid my hair away from my face as my father's fingers leave wet trails of ceremonial paint across my cheeks and forehead. A necklace is clasped around my neck and my heart clenches. It is not tradition, but love, and I feel the stone pulse against my skin.

"Haruno Sakura, we grant you leave to carry out the Goddess's holy task. May you walk with shadows, fight with honor, and be always in Her hands." My mother begins to sing softly, the sound swelling until it engulfs me. I rise and walk forward, the melody sustaining a single note as my feet reach the barrier of our village.

My own voice rises to complete the ancient hymn, and I smile at my village as my foot crosses the barrier. _Fare thee well, and Goddess guide you._

 ** _Hey, everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I apologize for the long absence, and I hope this chapter helps to make up for that. I realize now that I cannot promise to update regularly. This story (and most of my others) will likely be updated sporadically. It may be a short wait or a long wait for more chapters. I hope that this does not turn anyone away._**

 ** _Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter - I put a lot of time (and a fair amount of research) into it. :)_**

 ** _-AT_**


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